SC order on elephants in fests turns focus on decades-old tussle in Kerala

The HC's push to enforce guidelines sparked tension among temple festival committees and large fan clubs of captive elephants in the state.

The Supreme Court’s order on Thursday, effectively staying restrictions imposed by the Kerala high court on the use of elephants in temple festivals may have, for now, resolved the latest battle between tradition, heritage, and culture on one side, and safety of both elephants and the public on the other -- but the larger war is likely to continue.

The Thiruvambady and Paramekkavu Devaswoms, organisers of Kerala’s iconic Thrissur Pooram festival, appealed in the Supreme Court against the high court order. (REUTERS)

In that stayed ruling delivered on November 14, a high court bench, comprising justices AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and Gopinath P,